REALTORS®' Top Concerns Heading into 2016

REALTORS®' Top Concerns Heading into 2016

Daily Real Estate News |
Thursday, December 31, 2015

An improving job market, still-low interest rates, and recent measures to make credit more accessible are all offering help to the housing market’s recovery, but several challenges prompting closing delays remain.

The latest REALTORS® Confidence Index conducted in November reveals some of the top concerns on real estate professionals' minds. The survey is based on more than 2,500 responses from members about local market conditions.

Here are some of the most common concerns that REALTORS® raised in the latest survey:

1. New mortgage disclosure rules: The implementation of the TILA/RESPA Integrated Disclosure (TRID) regulations on Oct. 3 has been delaying closings and having an impact on sales, according to members. About 47 percent of respondents reported longer closing times compared to a year ago, up from 37 percent in the October 2015 survey. It typically took another 40 days to close a sale, up from 35 days in July 2015.

2. Condo financing: REALTORS® continued to report difficulty in obtaining financing for condominium unit purchases because many condominiums are not FHA or GSE eligible. Read more.

3. Tight inventories: A smaller number of homes for sale across the country are limiting choices for buyers and pushing prices up, decreasing housing affordability. REALTORS® particularly reported low inventory of properties in the lower price range and for those that are move-in ready.

4. Tight credit: Stringent credit standards continue to affect sales, particularly for first-time home buyers who are still struggling to qualify for financing, according to the REALTORS® surveyed. “Credit profiles that fail to meet tighter underwriting standards are conditions that continue to work against first-time home buyers,” according to the report.

5. Appraisal issues: “Late” and “low” appraisal valuations was also cited by REALTORS® as being problematic in transactions.